Prosthetic repair of incisional hernia combined with elective bowel operation.
OBJECTIVE
Incisional hernia repair with mesh is considered a clean operation and it is not recommended to be perfomed at the same time with a potentially contaminated operation. The aim of this study is to assess the short-term results of a group of patients who underwent a colon operation and simultaneous incisional hernia repair with an onlay polypropylene mesh technique.


METHODS
From Novemberto June 2006, 19 patients underwent incisional hernia repair with polypropylene mesh, with simultaneous colonic operation. In 13 patients reestablishment of bowel continuity after a Hartmann procedure was done, whereas in four patients a loop colostomy was closed. Two patients underwent colectomy for cancer.


RESULTS
Post-operatively one patient had a seroma and two others had wound infections which required mesh removal. The mean follow-up was 70.15 +/- 48.40 months (range 3 to 142 months). During this period five patients died, four from progression of malignancy and one from myocardial infarction. Three patients (15.78%) developed recurrence, two patients with previous Hartmann's operation for complicated diverticulitis and wound infection and the third patient due to inappropriate mesh fixation with buttonhole hernia development.


CONCLUSIONS
Prosthetic repair of incisional hernias can be safely performed simultaneously with a colonic operation, with an acceptable rate of infectious complications and recurrence. It is unjustifiable to avoid the use of mesh in a potentially contaminated field when an appropriate technique is used.
Machairas
A
A
3rd Department of Surgery, University of Athens School of Medicine, 'Attikon' University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Liakakos
T
T
Patapis
P
P
Petropoulos
C
C
Tsapralis
D
D
Misiakos
E P
EP
D000368:Aged; D003082:Colectomy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011126:Polypropylenes; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D011126:Polypropylenes